Plural instrument carrying case



May 9, 1961 L. w. PARMATER ET AL 2,983,367

PLURAL INSTRUMENT CARRYING CASE Filed June 25, 1958 1 K -l r M INVENTORS I 2 1 LEE w. PARMATER 1 M 2: I ROBERT M. CAIN W BY, /%l

flay/$1M ATTO R N EYS Patented May 9, 1961 PLURAL INSTRUMENT CARRYING CASE Lee W. Farmater, 10131 River-view Drive, and Robert M. Cam, 3932 Canterbury Drive, both of Kalamazoo,

This invention relates to portableinstrument cases, and more particularly relates to a novel carrying case for a plurality of portable test instruments.

In accordance with the present invention we provide a novel practical carrying case construction positioning a plurality of electrical instruments therein for ready accessibility. Further, where each instrument has a different function or range, it is displayed in its reposed position for immediate recognition. More particularly, the automotive test instruments of the type and construction described in our copending applications Serial No. 738,716 and Serial No. 738,674, are efficiently stored in the invention cabinet. The hand grip portions of such portable instruments are kept directly accessible therein, as will be described in detail hereinafter.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a novel carrying case for a plurality of portable test instruments.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel carrying case for a plurality of hand grip test instruments.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel carrying case for storing and displaying a number of types of portable automotive electrical test instruments.

These and further objects of the invention will become more apparent from the following description of an exemplary embodiment thereof, illustrated in the drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation view of the invention carrying case.

The arrangement of shelf20 and its extension lips 21-25 and stops 26-29, with base portion 19, is to stably mount portable test instruments of the type indicated at 30. The test units 30 are portable and comprise top or head 31 and an extending handle section 32.

The connecting cable 34 enters handle 32" at: its far end."

Cable 34 is for establishing circuital connection between the components in the test unit 30 through cable connectors 35. Switch means 33 project from handle 32 for ready manual control or presetting of unit 30 in its test oeration. Details of typical test units 3 0'for automotive engine and accessory testing are dscribed and illustrated in our copendingapplications Serial No. 738,674, Serial No. 738,675, Serial No. 739,540 andSerialNo. 775,270,.

The invention carrying case provides full display of the face of each test unit 30 reposing on shelf 20 between an adjacent pair of extending lips 21-25. Further a bottom portion of head 31 of unit 30 hooks onto or otherwise abuts a corresponding stop 26-29. The units 30 are thus stably held in case 10, with their handles 32 freely hanging into the open section of lower case 15. The handle 32 of each unit 30 may thus be readily gripped by ones hand for insertion into the case position, or ready removal. The center of gravity of each unit 30 is preferably in each head 31 over shelf 20.

Each unit 30 position is further defined by vertical partitions 36-38, forming four storage compartments 40-43. The cable 34 extending from the stored unit 30 is folded into its corresponding compartment 40-43. Other accessories as adapters, instructions, etc. may be stored in the corresponding compartment. Miscellaneous small tools, parts, etc., may be stored on shelf 20 without interfering with the angularly supported units 30.

The top section 11 and base section 15 of case 10 are contiguous along a juncture transverse across the case as seen in Figures 2 and 3. The juncture 45 angle of of base 15- approximately parallel with the mounted units (30;) therein, in order that the handles (32) are directly accessible thereby being near the top of the base section 15 when the case is opened. Such advantageous arrangement is achieved by making the extending lips Figure 2 is a side elevation view of the case of Figure 1.

Figures 3 and 4 are opened-up views of the case of Figure 1, with Figure 4 being a top view thereof, and Figure 3 a cross-sectional view through the line 3-3 of Figure 4.

The carrying case 10 is preferably made of heavy gauge steel, in rectangular form. The lid 11 is hinged along 12 to base section 15. Hinge 12 is practicably arranged all along the juncture of lid 11 with base 15 to establish balanced strength for supporting equipment in the lid 11. Foot-pads 14 preferably are pressed out of the bottom portion of base 15. A handle 16 is secured to the top of lid 11. A sturdy latch-lock 17, 18 permits safe portability of case 10 when loaded with heavy instruments.

An important feature of the present invention is the provision of transverse shelf 20 across the front panel of base 15 at proximately its upper portion -19. Further, individual inclined lips 21 to 25 extend from transverse shelf 20. Intermediate adjacent lips 21 to 25 are instrument stops 26 to 29. The inclination of lips 21 to 25 and stops 26 to 29 is correlated with their distance from the base portion 19 to fit the heads 31 of portable test instruments as unit 30 indicated in position in phantom.

2125 substantially perpendicular to the juncture 45 rim at base section 15 (see Figure 3).

The top section 11 of case 10 is used to store a gunshaped stroboscopic timing light unit 50 and miscellaneous clip leads 48. Leads 48 are simply pressed under a U-bar 49 welded to interior of case top 11. The gun unit 50 is fitted firmly inside case section 11 by sliding its top portion 51 under angle bar 54 while pivoted lug 55 is swung clear (Figure 3). When unit 50 is in position against interior of cover 11, lug 55 is swung over the butt of gun-unit 50 (Figure 4) to lock it in.

' An exemplary timing light unit 50 is described and illustrated in our copending application Serial No. 738,716.

The invention carrying case 10 thus provides a compact case to store a complement of portable test instruments sufiicient to fully test and tune-up an automobile engine and its accessories. The five stored instruments (30, 50) referred to herein and fully described in the applications set forth above, are to be considered illustrative and exemplary of the principles and features of the invention herein.

As will be understood by those skilled in the art,-

our invention may take other forms and arrangements, and the number of instruments accommodated may be varied for any embodiment thereof, without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention, as recited in the following claims.'

We claim:

1. A carrying case for a plurality of elongated portable test instruments each with a shoulder at an intermediate portion thereof, comprising a top section hinged to a base section of the case, a transverse, substantially horizontal shelf mounted at an intermediate level along a wall of and extending partially across said base section, and a plurality of spaced lips projecting from the extending edge of said shelf upwardly and outwardly therefrom and making an angle greater than 90 with the shelf and defining individual stalls for stably mounting the instruments supported by said shelf and held at their respective shoulders by two adjacent lips with the instrument body inclined to the case base, further including individual stops extending upwardly and outwardly from said shelf at the same angle thereto as said lips and between adjacent pairs of said lips to hold the associated instrument stably along its shoulder on said 15 2,559,289

shelf inclined to the case base.

2. A carrying case as claimed in claim 1, further including partitions extending vertically in said base sec- 4 tion between the said shelf and the bottom of the base section, and arranged to establish the individual stalls between adjacent lips and include one of said stops, in which the partitions have upper edges inclined from the shelf region downwardly at an angle that is of the order of 90 to said stops and lips to provide ready manual access to the handle of an instrument when reposed on the shelf and against the stops.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 363,690 Sleeper May 24, 1887 2,367,437 Salt Jan. 16, 1945 Eisen July 3, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Ian. 3, 1924 

